Chin straps for caps and the like

ABSTRACT

The adjustable chin strap assembly of a military or like cap is formed of synthetic resinous material and each portion of the strap is moulded of a single piece of material to obviate the expensive operations involved in constructing chin straps of conventional materials.

United States Patent 7 n9] Gallin CHIN STRAPS FOR CAPS AND THE LIKE lnventor:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

Related US. Application Data Paul G. Gallin, 729 Broadway, New

Continuation of Ser. No. 791,664, Jan. 16, 1969,

abandoned. I

US. Cl ..l32/58, 2/195 Int. Cl. ..A42b 7/00 Field of Search ..l32/58; 2/195, 209, 2/65, 197

[4 1 Apr. '24, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 873, l 22 l2/l907 Forman ..2/95

2,368,825 2/1945 Goldman ..2/95

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [5 7 ABSTRACT The adjustable chin strap assembly of a military or like 1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figures Patented. A ril 24, 1973 3,729,010

2 Sheets-$heet 1 CHIN STRAPS FOR CAPS AND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 791 ,664 filed Jan. 16, 1969 now abandoned.

The adjustable chin strap of military caps and the like conventionally are made from leather or leatherlike material and the two pieces forming the chin strap are each provided with a loop of similar strap material which is sewed, stapled or otherwise fastened together and to the main strap body portion in encompassing relationship with the main body portion of the other strap so as to produce sliding interengagement between the two strap pieces.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The chin strap assembly according to the present invention involves two chin strap pieces, each constructed of synthetic resinous material which, according to one modification, is provided with side flaps which are sealed together in encompassing relationship to the main body portion of the other strap piece and, in another embodiment, each strap piece'is formed of integral construction having a loop formation already form ed therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing a chin strap arrangement associated with a militiary cap;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a chin strap piece according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing two of the chin strap pieces interengaged in operative relationship;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view ofa modified form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken through a pair of chin strap pieces on line 55 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken longitudinally through a mold for producing integrally one strap piece;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 74 and s s, respectively, of FIG. 6;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, the usual cap construction 10 is provided with an adjustable chin strap arrangement 12 which consists of two chin strap pieces l4, 14', comprising strap like body portions 16,16, the relative opposite ends 18,18 of which are secured to the frame of the cap 10 by fasteners 20,20 and the fee ends of which are adjustably interengaged. According to the usual construction, the strap pieces are slidable in loop formations 22,22 on the respective strap pieces 14,14 so as to allow adjustability as to length of the assembly 12 in accordance with the dimensions and configuration of the wearers head.

The strap pieces 14, 14 essentially are the same except the respective loop formations 22, 22 are in relatively reverse relation with respect to body portions 16, 16. Thus, the loop formation 22 defines a loop on the inner side of the strap piece 14 to surround the body portion 16' of the underlying strap piece 14' whereas the loop formation 22 defines a loop on the outer side of the strap piece 14 to surround the body portion 16 of the overlying strap piece 14.

In addition, the strap pieces are provided with ornamental pull tabs 24, 24 to facilitate adjustment relative to each other, and to be exposed and relatively available the tab 24 on the strap piece 14 is constituted by an extension of the body portion 16 beyond the loop formation 22. In contrast, the tab 24 on the strap piece 14' is aligned with the body portion 16 but extends from the outer edge of the loop formation 22'.

Heretofore, these strap pieces have been formed of split leather, usually cowhide, straps the outer exposed surfaces of which leave a smooth attractive finish but the inner surfaces of which are unfinished and rough I and can be irritating to the wearer's skin. Moreover, the loop formations are formed by similar strap portions the free ends of which are joined together on the inner sides of the body portions 16, 16' by heavy stitching and staples. As the leather straps are at least one-sixteenth of an inch thick they are relatively stiff, the loops constitute substantial protrusions against the wearer's skin and the loop connecting stitching and staples are highly abrasive. These chin straps are relatively expensive because of the hand operations necessary in fabrication, and the leather deteriorates rapidly with use and exposure to the elements.

The foregoing defects and difficulties are overcome in accordance with the present invention by producing the chin straps of a synthetic plastic or thermoplastic material having characteristics suitable for the purpose. The use of a plastic material enables the production of the straps at minimum cost and provides straps of minimum thickness with any desired surface configuration and ornamentation, eliminating roughness, reducing multiple layers, and providing lasting wear and conformation characteristics. Such straps may be produced in many different procedures, three of which will now be described.

For example, the strap pieces may be fabricated by stamping or cutting them from a sheet of plastic material, the loop formations being constituted by laterally disposed flap portions which are folded over and their free end edge portions welded together by heat and/or solvent, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Alternatively, the strap pieces may be cut from tubular stock, as shown in FIG. 4, and then flattened by heat and pressure to provide integral loop formations. Thirdly, and preferably, the strap pieces maybe molded, as by an injection process, in their ultimate configuration, as described with respect to FIGS. 6-1 1.

With respect to the first mentioned procedure, a strap piece 14a is stamped or otherwise cut from a sheet of plastic material to include a body portion 16a and laterally extending flap means 26 which are folded over to form a loop 22a. In the illustrated embodiment, the structure corresponds to the strap piece 14, FIG. 1, and has a flap or tab 24a constituting an extension of the body portion 16a, the opposite end of the body portion 160 constituting the free end 18a of the strap piece. In the illustrated embodiment, the flap means 26 are constituted by flap portions extending in opposide directions from the sides of the body portion 16a and are of equal length. The free end edges 28 of the flaps 26 are joined together preferably by welding as by heat and/or solvent along a seam 30, FIG. 3.

It will be understood that the two uniform flap portions 26 are preferred because this design of the strap piece will enable the maximum number of pieces to be cut or stamped from a given area of sheet material. Obviously, a single laterally extending flap portion of sufficient length to form the complete loop 22a can be provided and the free end edge thereof secured to the edge of the body portion 16a opposite that from which the flap extends.

In a similar manner, the strap piece 14a may be cut or stamped from sheet material to include a body portion 16a terminating in laterally extending flap portions 26' which include not only the area for defining the loop 22a, but also include quarter segments 32 which jointly constitute the end tab 240'. The free end edges 28' of the flap portions 26' are joined along the seam line 30' to form the completed loop 22a and tab 24a. Although the sealing of the end edges can be effected in such a manner that the seam 30' is substantially invisible, in this instance it may be desirable to provide a single flap portion constituting the material for forming both the loop 22a and tab 24a, and then securing the free edge of such flap portion to the opposite free edge of the body 160 so that the seam will be on the underside of the strap piece.

Another manner of forming the strap pieces is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein it will be seen that a section of tubular plastic material is cut to define a strap piece 14b including a completely circular loop portion 22b from which the tab portion 24b extends. After the tubular piece is cut it may then be flattened by the application of heat and pressure, just as the flap portions 22a and 22a are flattened, to constitute a flat body portion and a flattened loop portion as illustrated in FIG. 5. Although a strap piece formed from tubular material is illustrated in FIG. 4 as constituting the piece 14b, it will be understood that the strap piece corresponding to the piece 14 can be produced in the same manner.

A further and preferred method of fabricating the plastic strap pieces is illustrated in FIGS. 6-11 which show mold blocks by which the piece may be injection molded in its ultimate form, other than minor trimming operations. Referring to FIG. 6, the injection mold block 40 may constitute cooperative molds 42 and 44 plus a core element 46. The mold shown in FIG. 6 is for forming the strap piece 14 and includes in the mold block 44 a cavity 48 for casting the body portion 16 and a coplanar extension 50 of the cavity 48 for defining the tab 24. Between the cavities 48 and 50 are laterally projecting cavities 52, FIG. 9, for defining the roots of the loop forming portion. The block 44 is provided with an inlet 54 adjacent one end and opening into the cavity 48 to permit the injection of plastic material under pressure.

The mold block 42 has for the most part a planar surface 56, FIGS. 7 and 10, that abuts the surface of the mold block 44 and overlies the cavity 48 to define the opposite side of the strap body portion 16. At its end corresponding to and cooperating with the lateral cavities 52 in the block 44, the block 42 is provided with a cavity 58 for defining the loop portion and this cavity 58 is open to a channel portion 60,60 of a depth to receive and fully nest the core 46 which extends through the combined area of the cavities 52 and 58 to define the loop, FIG. 8. Preferably, the core 46 lies flush on the surface of the block 44 and is completely nested within the channel 60,60 in the block 42.

Finally, the block 42 may be provided with an exhaust vent 62 opening from the cavity 58 to enable the escape of air as the plastic material is injected into the mold cavities. The vent 62 is located at the point of the combined mold cavity which will be the last to receive the plastic material. When the molded strap piece has sufficiently hardened it can then be removed from the mold and any excess material at the inlet 54 and the vent 62 can be trimmed. Preferably, the mold blocks are provided with suitable registering means to maintain them in alignment, and such means are shown as pins 64 on the block 42 nesting in corresponding sockets 66 in the block 44.

The mold 40 for fabricating the strap piece corresponding to piece 14' is essentially the same as that described with respect to FIGS. 6-10, but, as shown in FIG. 11, the cavity 48' in the block 44 terminates at a point corresponding to the edge of the loop area 52'; whereas the cavity 58' in the block 42 includes an extended cavity 50 for defining the tab 24 on the loop. In this instance, the core 46' is in inverted relation and is nested jointly within a groove 68 within the block 42' and a matching groove 70 in the block 44'. The block 44' is provided with an inlet 54' and the block 42' with a vent 62' as previously described.

It will be noted that the cores 46,46 are identical in structure but are inverted in use. The core includes a relatively thick body portion 72 and a relatively thin extension 74 of substantially rectangular section constituting the core portion per se and of sufficient length to span the combined cavities 52-58, 52'-58 and fill the groove 60'. The core has, on one side, a planar surface 76 common to the body 72 and extension 74, and on the opposite side an angularly disposed surface 78 which serves to merge the thinner core portion 74 with the thicker body portion 72.

In the assembly shown in FIG. 6, the core is posi- I tioned with its planar surface 76 on the upper flat surface of the mold 44 so that the surface 76 defines the upper surface of the mold cavities 48-50-52 and constitutes the mold for the upper surface of the tab and the strap within the loop. The groove or slot 60 has an inclined surface 80 corresponding to the core surface 78 and the ends of the groove 60' and the core extension 74 are so spaced from the respective inclined surfaces 80 and 78, respectively, that the latter engage each other but do not wedge when the aforementioned ends are in abutting relation. Thus, when the strap is cast and the plastic material is sufficiently set to be selfsupporting, the core 46 can be withdrawn with minimum difficulty because the inclined surfaces immediately are separated and thus relieve friction between the core and the molds 42, 44.

For molding the cooperating strap piece, as shown in FIG. 11, the core 46' is inverted so that the planar surface 76' defines the inner surface of the cavities Sty-58110 which forms the underside of the loop and tab.

In this case, the major thickness of the core body portion 72' fits within the groove 70 in the mold 44', said groove having an inclined surface 80' engageable with the inclined core surface 78'. The spacing of the inclined surfaces relative to the ends of the groove 60' and the core extension 74' are identical to that previously described and for the same purpose.

Regardless of the method employed, it will be appreciated that in chin straps according to the invention, there is no irritating line of stitching which contacts the sensitive skin areas of the user. Note, in this respect, that the side flaps of all of the chin straps are always on the skin-contacting inner side of the chin strap assembly. With conventional sewn devices, not only is one line of stitching exposed to view, but the other is in contact with the user's skin. With the present invention, the loop formation is an integral structure, being inherently smooth and also lending a pleasing appearance which avoids the prior art disadvantages.

I claim:

1. A chin strap for military caps and the like comprising a pair of juxtaposed substantially identical strap pieces, each strap piece including an elongated strap portion having at one end means for attachment to a cap and at the other end a flat loop portion extending across and overlying the respective strap portion, said strap pieces being assembled with the strap portion of each piece extending slidably through the flat loop portion of the other piece, the ends of each loop portion being coplanar with the respective strap portion and integral with the respective side edges of the strap portion and devoid of external securing means, each strap piece including means on the loop ends thereof and integral therewith to facilitate adjustment of said assembled strap pieces, said means comprising a tab on one of said strap pieces coplanar with the strap portion and extending beyond the loop portion thereof,-a tab on the other of said strap pieces coplanar with the outer side portion of the loop portion thereof and extending beyond the respective strap portion, and each said strap piece being constituted by an integral unitary body composed of molded flexible plastic material. 

1. A chin strap for military caps and the like comprising a pair of juxtaposed substantially identical strap pieces, each strap piece including an elongated strap portion having at one end means for attachment to a cap and at the other end a flat loop portion extending across and overlying the respective strap portion, said strap pieces being assembled with the strap portion of each piece extending slidably through the flat loop portion of the other piece, the ends of each loop portion being Coplanar with the respective strap portion and integral with the respective side edges of the strap portion and devoid of external securing means, each strap piece including means on the loop ends thereof and integral therewith to facilitate adjustment of said assembled strap pieces, said means comprising a tab on one of said strap pieces coplanar with the strap portion and extending beyond the loop portion thereof, a tab on the other of said strap pieces coplanar with the outer side portion of the loop portion thereof and extending beyond the respective strap portion, and each said strap piece being constituted by an integral unitary body composed of molded flexible plastic material. 